The night was in full swing. It had been a long time since they had all been out together. Since Makayla had been in her life Kim had been more than happy to swap bar hopping nights with her besties for movie and PJ nights at home but this was a special occasion. It was Adam's birthday and he had begged her to come out, even offering to pay for a babysitter.

They started at Molly's and where they went from there was yet to be seen. Atwater thought clubbing was a good idea however the others had doubts. Hermann and Kidd had plied them with drinks claiming they hadn't been sighted in almost a year and they owed them. "Oh, so we aren't too good for you." Kidd had teased them. "You get kicked out of wherever you spend your time now? Coming grovelling back."

Kevin used his elbows to push himself up and over the bar and kissed Stella's cheek. "Awww….you missed me?"

"I missed your cash." She tapped the bar. "Show me."

Kevin dropped some cash on the bar and ordered a round of drinks. "So what do we owe this honour."

"Ruze is growing up. Another year around the sun. Gotta celebrate the fact he made it."

"A constant mystery."

Kevin grabbed the three drinks. "A cat with nine lives."

Stella beckoned him closer for a moment. "What's with them?" she nodded across the room to the table where Adam and Kim were sitting, a little close than you'd expect two friends to be sitting at the otherwise empty table and having an animated discussion about something. There was laughing, touching and hand-waving.

Kevin flicked his toothpick to the other side of his mouth. "I don't know, but it's getting a bit boring this 'we are just friends, we're family schtick they have goin' on."

"Do they need a shove?"

"They need more than a shove, they need to be locked in a tiny room, handcuffed and left alone until they short their shit out. I'm tired."

Stella winked. "Let me know if you need a hand."

Kevin wasn't sure if he should take her up on her offer. Stella seemed kinda devious but if push came to shove he might just be desperate enough. He'd pretty much run out of ideas. It was hard to deny that they were obviously happy with whatever they had going on and he knew that Kim had been through a lot and things were running at her pace. Adam seemed content with the current situation, or at least good a pretending to be. As far as he was concerned it was better than the alternative.

"Okay, kiddies, drink up, the night is a pup, unlike you." Kevin slid the shot in front of his best buddy. "More wrinkles, more greys, still no closer to maturity."

"I love you too." Adam held up his glass and waited for Kim and Kevin to join him. "Here's to a night of good decisions."

"You, drinking, Kevin and Molly's does not equal good decisions." Kim laughed as she knocked back her shot. It stung her throat and she already knew she was going to regret this in the morning. Makayla was having a sleepover with Trudy and Mouch and they had already told her that they wouldn't be bringing her back until dinner time so she could 'relax and loosen up'.

Kim frowned and asked Trudy what she meant by that and was told that she was a little uptight lately and was kinda boring. When Adam snorted Kim shot him a pointed look and he shrugged. He wasn't touching that one but he did wink at Trudy as they left.

"I've hit on you here, that's always a good decision." Adam did like that Kim blushed. He'd push until Kim made it clear she wasn't enjoying it and right now she was enjoying it, she was trying to 'loosen up'.

Even on the Uber ride over to Molly's she had asked about what Trudy had said. Did people really think she was a bit uptight. Adam exhaled and chose his words carefully.

"Well, you've had a bit of a rough few months, it's no surprise that you are a bit…. Cautious."

"Cautious?" Kim raised one eyebrow at him.

"And like, you've usually got Makayla to go home to so that means you are…."

"Uptight?"

"I didn't say uptight, that was Platt."

"You think I need to loosen up?"

"Again….Platt."

Kim leant in close and pressed one finger into the middle of his chest. "Don't lie to me Adam."

He licked his lips and smiled, that crazy crooked smile that lit up his whole face. His eyes danced and he chuckled. "We are here. Buckle Up Burgess."

"You are not getting away from answering my question Ruzek."

"Have I told you how hot you look tonight?" He eyed her up and down and muttered under his breath that she was a MILF.

Opening the door before Kim had the chance to speak he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the back of the car and into Molly's. It didn't take long for Kim to push it from her mind for now and just enjoy being out with some of her favorite people on the planet.

Molly's was busy but Kevin had called ahead and booked a table. They didn't often reserve tables for small groups but the gang from the 21st always had that pull. They were always welcome and it was good to have them back again. Kevin was waiting for them and Kim bounced a little when she saw him.

They fell into a groove and it didn't take them long to move on from talking about work to talking about anything but. Work took up most of their time, there was always something or someone you could talk about but tonight was about fun and they recalled some on the good times they'd had. When music festivals, late night pub crawls, 4am drunk munchies and road trips were how they filled their down times.

Now it was kid activities, movie nights on the couch, dance recitals, and early nights. Except Kevin was still in that world and for a little while Kim lived vicariously through him.

"I was hoping Celeste would come?" Kim sipped on her cocktail. She was going to make the most of it now she was here. "How is she?"

"Fine, fine." Kev brushed it off. "She's workin'. Savin' the world." Kevin hadn't really explained that she still didn't know he was a cop and that would make it difficult to introduce her to them, considering they had actually arrested both of them. "It's all good."

Kim refused the offer of another shot when Adam asked before heading back to the bar. While she was happy to let her hair down there was no way she could keep up with these two. They were machines and had already declared this was like old times. It was going to get messy.

He was gone for a long time and Kim and Kevin were deep in conversation and filled her in on his plans to buy property and flip. His plans were grander and Kim knew that Adam had his doubts but Kevin had his heart set on it and while he always nodded to acknowledge Adam, and now Kim's concerns, they knew it wasn't sinking in for him. It was going to be a success as far as Kevin was concerned and perhaps it would, his friends certainly hoped so.

Kevin saw Kim's eyes dart towards the bar a few times. He followed her gaze and realised why. "Why don't you go stake your territory?"

"It's not my territory. Adam's free to do what he likes." She immediate response was very snippy.

"He would be your territory if you just say the word." Kevin reminded her, he definitely saw the green-eyed monster peeking through. "You can't keep stringing him along. A man has needs."

Kim glanced at the bar again and watched as Adam threw his head back and laughed. She set her mouth in a grim line and sipped her drink. "Just worry about how you are going to feed yourself when you blow all your money on some derelict building. I'm not feeding you as well."

"I'll sleep on your couch." He nodded towards the bar again. "Might be an openin' soon."

Kim rolled her eyes but Kevin knew her better than most. "What are you scared of? Adam? He loves you, he always has."

"Yes, he loves me, but that's it. He's done nothing. Is that enough?"

Kevin sighed. "Burgess, I love you. Seriously, I love you but what more does he need to do? He sleeps on your couch so you feel safe, he looked after Makayla while you were in hospital, he spends weekends at your place just hanging out. A hot blooded Romeo and good looking cat like that doesn't do all that for nothin', because he's a nice guy. He does it because he's fuckin' in love with you."

"Then why doesn't he tell me that? Why are you telling me this while he's off flirting with whoever the hell that is." She waved her hand wildly in the direction of the bar. Kevin got it, she was jealous. Maybe this was the shove they needed, and he was just going to keep nudging until she got it. At this point the ball was in her court, it had been for a long time.

"Well Burgess…" Kevin wanted to chose his words wisely but felt the time was well past playing nice. "You can be a little cold." He sucked his breath in as Kim glared at him. "Hard to approach, he doesn't want to get his heart broken again, like all the other times you've turned him down. He's protecting himself. He's scared of you. I'm scared of you."

"Ouch."

Kevin picked up his drink and tapped it against hers. "Tell it like it is. Take that from a guy who loves both of you."

Kim looked down at the table for a few moments, hopefully contemplating Kevin's harsh words. He wasn't sorry he said them though, they were overdue and he could almost hear the cogs in her head turning. She chose the wrong time to look up and see what Adam was doing though and those cogs ground to a halt.

Adam placed one hand on the random woman's shoulder and looked closely at her ear. He was saying something that obviously they couldn't hear but she nodded and he pulled out his phone. Leaning back he snapped a photo and then typed something and put his phone back in his pocket and continued the conversation.

He smiled at the woman, touching her arm lightly and nodded before heading back to the table with Kevin's drink. "About time?"

"Sorry. Got chatting."

Kim noticed that the strange woman at the bar kept looking over at their table and had caught Adam's eye once or twice. She couldn't help herself, and she couldn't blame the woman for checking him out, he was beautiful to look at but Kim felt uncomfortable. She was a little jealous that Adam seemed to not be bothered about the attention. It wasn't that he was even paying attention to her, the fact that it was happening was annoying enough and that he clearly had her phone number bothered Kim.

Her green eyed monster was hard to control.

While Kevin and Adam fell back into conversation Kim sat a little quietly and when Adam touched her leg lightly when she hadn't said anything for a while she moved her leg away quickly. He sighed but said nothing and made sure he didn't touch her again.

There had been times when he'd touched her, out of the blue, and she'd obviously been startled and shrunk away from his touch out of fear but he knew how that looked. This one looked like she was pissed with him and for the life of him he had no idea why.

When it was her turn for drinks she made her way to the bar and although she wanted to be anywhere but where the two woman were standing that was the only space. 'He looks like he'd be fun.' She overheard the one Adam had been talking to and that little bubble of jealousy grew in her guy. 'I knew coming to this bar was a good idea, I can just imagine them in uniform, it's not unpleasant.'

Kim tapped the bar impatiently waiting for her drinks and literally snatched them from the bar and headed back and sat quietly while Adam and Kevin got louder and more enthusiastic in their conversation about the upcoming Ice Hockey season. Adam noticed it and knew she wasn't really a Ice Hockey fan and tried to change the subject but Kim still didn't really engage.

"What's up?" he asked when Kevin headed to the bathroom on his way to the bar for another round.

"Nothing. Just a little tired. I didn't realise how out of practice I was." Kim smiled tightly. "I might head home soon and you and Kev can kick on and do whatever you like."

"Come on. Kim." Adam reached for her hand. "Please stay. I want you to stay."

"Do you?" She snapped. "Really."

"Yes. Yes I do." Adam begged. "Please. For me?"

Kim pouted a little. His pleading eyes were very convincing. He knew how to win her over. "I don't want to cramp your style."

"You are my style and I wish you'd cramp it more often."

She glanced over his shoulder towards the bar and now Kev was deep in conversation with Adam's mystery woman. Catching Kim looking at her she smiled, leant into Kevin, said something in his ear and then laughed and turned her back on them. They heard Kevin's big throaty laugh boom out across the room.

"You've got that woman's number." Kim suddenly blurted out.

"Who?"

"Her." Kim pointed at the woman standing beside Kev, deep in conversation. Adam turned his head and saw it and knew exactly what the problem was all of a sudden.

"No I don't."

"I saw you. You took her photo and then added her number. Is that so later on when you are drunk you can remember her name?" Kim argued childishly.

Adam sighed. "Really. Are we doing this now? Happy fucking birthday Adam." He muttered as he knocked back the last of his drink. "It's always the same."

"Sorry. I'm ruining your birthday. I should go." Kim reached for her bag.

Adam stared at the empty glass in front of him for a moment and when Kim went to move he pulled out his phone and showed her the photo. "I liked her earrings. I thought they'd look good on you so I took a photo and asked her where she got them. I wanted to buy them for you. I thought Mak could give them to you for Christmas."

"Oh." Kim felt terrible. She just wanted the earth to open up and swallow her. She had no idea why she was so irrational with Adam at the moment. The feeling of jealousy sat like a pit in her stomach. "I'm sorry Adam."

"When are you going to get it? Either get it or cut me loose. I can't keep doing this dance. I'm tired. I'm tired of trying to be what you want when I've got no fucking idea what it is anymore." Adam made a move to get off the stool "Tell Mak I'll see her soon."

"No." Kim grabbed his arm. "Don't walk away from me Adam."

"I've got nothing left to give you." He shook his head sadly. This felt so familiar. Yet another birthday that went to shit. It was exactly like his childhood, it always ended up in a fight between his parents about where he'd spend his day, nobody ever asked him what he wanted to do, it was just a competition between his Mum and Dad. "This is it." He held his hands out wide. "This is all I got."

"Are you done?" Kim placed her bag back on the table while Adam shoved his hands in his pockets. It was a defensive move on his part. He was pissed off and didn't want to be here anymore.

He nodded. "I'm done."

"Good." She stepped into his space. "When this night ends, I want to go home….with you."

"And then what? I sleep on the couch. I think I will…" he leant into her, his face just inches from hers and she could smell the bourbon on his breath. "…take a pass."

"No."

Adam laughed. "No? Yeah, I'm not doing this anymore. Giving into you, having fun and don't get me wrong, it is fun but shit Kim, we've being doing this for fucking years and it's killing me."

Kim reached into his pocket and pulled his hand out, lacing her fingers in his she pulled him even closer. "Then let's stop dancing around each other and do this."

"Don't do this to me…"

She kissed him. Softly before pulling away again. "Let's do this together. This life thing, I want to do it with you. All of it."

"Wow, this is out of blue."

"So? Isn't this what you want."

"Yes." He pulled Kim in closer and bent down to whisper in her ear. "All I've ever wanted was to do this life thing with you too."

"I love you Adam." Kim exhaled, her breath warm on his neck.

"Well obviously. I am very loveable." He smiled, then kissed her and then cheered loud enough for the whole bar to hear.